Rare morning blasts heard in Tripoli

A compound belonging to embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was hit by explosions on Saturday morning.

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) — A series of explosions rocked the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Saturday morning, including blasts at a compound belonging to ruler Moammar Gadhafi and one on a nearby tribal compound, a government official said.

The official said one strike occurred on Bab bin Ghashir, a tribal compound near Gadhafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound, where the other strikes occurred. The official believed the strikes were NATO attacks.

No casualties were reported.

Morning strikes in Tripoli are rare. NATO confirmed one of the attacks — a press officer said the strike on Bab bin Ghashir was timed to minimize civilian casualties.

NATO said it targeted a vehicle storage area at Bab bin Ghashir.

The tribal compound is used by people who volunteer as support forces for Libyan authorities. A decade ago, the site was used as a military station.

NATO is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of any means — with the exception of foreign occupation — to protect civilians from attack or the threat of attack. It has been conducting airstrikes targeting Gadhafi’s military resources.

In the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, the head of the National Transitional Council told reporters Saturday he welcomed a call made Friday by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for Gadhafi to step down. Medvedev’s statement, echoing the stance of American and European leaders, appeared to indicate a closing diplomatic windown for the longtime Libyan strongman.

In addition, Mostafa Abdul Jalio said he has offered amnesty to Gadhafi loyalists who defect prior to the demise of the regime but reiterated that there will be “no negotiation for any solution until Gadhafi’s departure.”

Once that happens, elections and a constitutional referendum will be held within a year, the spokesman said.

In an interview, the spokesman told CNN that the council had sold a shipment of oil to China for $160 million. The confirmation of the sale is expected to buttress the political and economic credibility of the fledgling rebel power.

The unrest in Libya has persisted for months as opposition members demand an end to Gadhafi’s nearly 42-year rule.

CNN’s Amir Ahmed, Raja Razek, Nima Elbagir and Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.